


A Belated Birthday

by Tshilaba



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6607108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tshilaba/pseuds/Tshilaba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's better late, than never.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Belated Birthday

Rhajat turned a page in the tome she'd borrowed from Orochi. While in her Deeprealm, the only new material she'd ever been able to get her hands on was what her parents had brought with them when they visited and so most of her studies there had been practical ones. It was nice to return to reading.

 

Corrin and Hayato had gone to visit Kana in his Deeprealm, and, feeling she'd just be in the way, she declined to travel with them. She wondered how old her little brother was now. They hadn't ever really visited each other, but her mother had always told her of how he was when she visited.

 

The blonde frowned at the page she'd landed on. It instructed the reader on how to mold water into a shape. It was different than molding fire, she knew. But the water reminded her of her mother's dragon form, the bubbles that floated up from where her hooves landed... Her eyes widened as she realized that the day before had been Kana's birthday. “Damn it!” she swore, leaping to her feet, the book tossed aside as she scrambled outside.

 

Azura looked somewhat surprised to see her. “Rhajat? What's wrong? You look as if the barracks are on fire.”

 

“Where're Mother and Father?”

 

“Corrin and Hayato haven't come back yet,” the blue-haired songstress said. “Is something the matter?”

 

“Kana's birthday was yesterday!” she exclaimed.

 

“Oh, I see. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten as well.” Azura chewed her lip for a moment before she said “The best we can do is wait until they return.”

 

Rhajat's shoulders dropped before she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed in irritation. “Fine. I suppose if there's nothing better to do, I'll be inside studying.”

 

“All right.”

 

She turned and walked back inside the barracks and settled back down onto the couch, picking up where she'd left off in the tome.

 

_Molding water is, by far, much easier than molding fire_ , the page declared boldly. _For, while fire remains burning to the touch, water is cool._

 

She frowned. What was this? Magical learning for toddlers? She rolled her eyes. But it did seem as if the procedure was the same. Though one could get away with being a little more reckless with water than with fire...

 

“Rhajat?”

 

She glanced up from the page. “Mother!” she cried, tossing the book aside for the second time that day to run and embrace the older blonde.

 

“It's good to see you too, dear,” Corrin said, hugging her daughter back.

 

“Mother,” Rhajat said, pulling away a little to look up at her. “I'm so sorry. I forgot about Kana's birthday. I'm a horrible sister...”

 

“No you're not!” a cheerful voice said from behind Corrin. A little boy with a messy head of hair as red as Hayato's peeked out. “You're a great big sis!”

 

“Kana?”

 

“Mhmm!” He grinned and held his arms out before tackling his sister in a hug that briefly knocked the wind out of her.

“How did you...”

 

“I couldn't leave Mama,” he protested. “What if I never saw her again?”

 

Rhajat smiled softly and ruffled her little brother's hair. “Your hair's worse than they said. It looks like you've been a slugabed since you were a baby.”

 

“Heehee!”

 

“I know we missed your birthday, Kana,” Hayato said. “But we've got dinner prepared and we can get together with everyone.”

 

“Okay!” The redhead scampered off after their father.

 

Corrin nudged her daughter's side gently. “Hey.”

 

Rhajat continued to stare at her feet. “I don't have anything for him...”

 

“You know, he can change into a dragon,” Corrin said quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.

 

“Really?”

 

“Mm.” Her mother nodded. “That's what took us so long. Those weird soldiers attacked and he went berserk when he saw me in danger. At least you just tried creating an army to get my attention,” she chided affectionately.

 

“Heh...” The tome caught Rhajat's eye. “Maybe I do have something for him after all... I'll see you in a few minutes, okay, Mother?”

 

“All right. But please don't skip dinner again.”

 

“I won't. I promise.”

* * *

 

“Whatcha doin'?”

 

“Shh!”

 

The kitsune pouted, her golden eyes flashing slightly at the rebuff.

 

“Sorry, Selkie,” Rhajat said. “I'm just putting the final touches on Kana's present.”

 

“Oh that's what you were doin' during dinner.”

 

“Mm.” She frowned at the ball of water hovering over her palm. Creating it had been the easy part. But actually making it listen...

 

Selkie leaned over curiously. “Molding water? Inta what?”

 

“Kana can transform just like Mother.”

 

“Ohhh... You're not upset? I know you love your mom just like I love Daddy.”

 

“I'm fine with it,” Rhajat mumbled, her fingers twitching slightly, like Asugi's did when he was left around candy, as she pulled the water into the shape she wanted. “I know I can't have everything.” She pulled a little too roughly and the water burst, scattering droplets across her lap. “Damn it,” she swore.

 

“Maybe you're bein' too rough?”

 

“What?”

 

“Well, it's like when my playthings don't wanna play anymore,” Selkie explained. “Mom says it's coz I get too rough.”

 

Rhajat snorted. “What? Like the time you broke Azura's little finger when you were teething?”

 

Selkie blushed and her ears drooped. “I didn't mean too,” she mumbled.

 

“I know.” She pulled the water into a ball once more. “It's hard to be delicate when I'm running out of time.”

 

“But you rarely rush coz you say it botches things.”

 

Rhajat paused, staring at the pulsing sphere of water. She wasn't _wrong_ , per say, but Kana's birthday had already passed... She sighed. “Better late than never,” she muttered, working on molding once again, but taking care to be more gentle.

 

Selkie giggled beside her.

 

* * *

 

“You guys are way too nice,” Kana mumbled, his face almost as dark as his hair.

 

“You're like family!” Selkie piped up. “Nothin's too much for family!”

 

“Yeah, I guess...” His face fell a bit. “Where'd Sis go?”

 

Corrin sighed. “She was at dinner. Weren't you sitting with her?”

 

Selkie nodded earnestly. “She said she'd be right back though. Something about needing a moment for somethin'.”

 

“I'm here,” Rhajat said walking up. She didn't seem to be carrying anything in her hands.

 

“Well, if that's all the presents,” Corrin said, “I think it's time for bed.” She glanced at her children. “Why don't you two come back to my room for a few minutes before you head off? I'd like to talk to you.”

 

“Yes, Mother.”

 

“Okay, Mama.”

 

They followed her and their father to the treehouse and settled on the floor as their parents sat down on the bed. “Now,” Corrin began, before Rhajat cut her off.

 

“I'm sorry, Mother. I would have been there. But after dinner I had to relieve myself. And it took a bit longer than I would have liked. I'm sorry, too, Kana.”

 

“It's okay,” Kana said. “Our bodies have schedules of their own, yanno? No one can help that.”

 

“You said you had a present for your brother,” Hayato said. “What happened?”

 

Rhajat flinched almost as if she'd been struck. “I have it...I think...”

 

“You think? Rhajat, this isn't the time for games. If you--” He stopped as Corrin laid a hand on his thigh, shaking her head.

 

Rhajat placed her hands against each other before cupping her dominant hand briefly before lifting it away, leaving a palm-sized sphere of water floating a little ways above her hand.

 

“Whoa!” Kana said. “You can make water?”

 

Rhajat grimaced. “That...wasn't the present...”

 

“Oh.”

 

She held her hand over the sphere and began pulling gently, her fingertips barely ghosting over the water. Her tongue slipped out the corner of her mouth as she focused on her work. Finally, it was finished. A perfect, albeit tiny, replica of what her brother looked like in his dragon form based on the story she'd heard from Kagero and Orochi.

 

“Oh gods...” Kana breathed, reaching out to touch it but stopping just short.

 

“It won't burn you like fire,” Rhajat said gently. “And even if you poke it, it will just go back to normal when you move your finger.”

 

The redhead touched the tiny water creature in awe, giggling as the surface bounced under his touch.

 

Rhajat flicked her finger and the little dragon flapped up into the air, soaring around her parents and brother before landing back in her palm, roaring silently.

 

“Rhajat, that's gorgeous. That's what you've been doing all this time?”

 

The blonde set the dragon down on the floor and let it wander about as her brother continued to watch it, scrambling along on all fours after it. Her hair fell in her face as she looked at the floor, fidgeting slightly. “I didn't have the gold to buy something...” she mumbled.

 

Kana was giggling as the dragon nuzzled against him, the soft sound of water bubbles popping as it did so, when he stopped. “Sis...”

 

“What? Isn't it good enough? I know it's not a weapon or a book or anything, but--”

 

“No! It's better! Who needs weapons or books when your sister makes you a dragon out of WATER?!” he cried, scrambling across the room to tackle her in a hug.

 

“Oof! Oh, gods...” Rhajat coughed as her brother let go of her. “You and Mother don't know your own strength...”

 

“Heh...” Kana grinned widely and giggled. “Sorry Sis!”

 

She shook her head. “Happy birthday, Little Brother,” she said, ruffling his hair.


End file.
